It’s a drizzly Fall evening and I can hear the rain outside my office window. The night is dark and the house is warm, calm and smells so delicious. It finally feels like Fall. I took the kids to the dentist to get their teeth checked today and it seems like Annabelle may have a cavity in her back tooth. I’m so bummed about this news and feel like a total failure. I’m responsible for every single tooth in her head and I feel terrible that we have a follow up appointment and need put her through the motions of this uncomfortable procedure just because I dropped the ball.

Then we got home too late. It was raining cats and dogs and there is always a ton of traffic on rainy days. Or is it just rush hour?! Who knows, Angelina was totally over the whole thing and I was too!

So let’s turn this afternoon around! What’s cooking in the oven?!! Oh yes! Just a couple of fresh Acorn Squash I picked up from our favorite local Whole FoodsMarket. Okay, I’m totally showing off a little here. But it’s true!! The house smells warm, spicey, cozy, and just like Fall. You won’t believe how easy this dish is to make, and it tastes even better!!

So, cooking isn’t exactly one of my strong suits. Although I love to be in the kitchen, around people cooking and at grocery stores (pretty, organic, clean ones of course 🙂 )Plus, let’s be honest, it’s a big part of my job. I love the idea of having something cooking on the stove or baking in the oven. Preferably something fresh and seasonal.

Last year, when my mom came to stay over Thanksgiving I was kind of baffled when she showed up with this huge Acorn Squash in her grocery basket. I’m thinking, “is this a decorative thing, or are we going to cook this when Grandma comes?!”- My Grandma is the best and I’m not sure how she does it, but she always includes a whole variety of healthy food options in every meal she puts together. She would be the one to incorporate a Fall vegetable like Acorn Squash, know exactly what to do with it, make it look so easy, and have it taste totally delicious.

For me, as a Mom, I tend to stick to easy simple recipes that are in my comfort zone. It doesn’t even stop with food, in general I tend to choose parks, libraries, coffee shops and basically everything that serves the purpose and doesn’t take a PHD to figure out 🙂 My time is limited and I want to be as efficient as I can be. So when my Mom baked this wonderful meal in less than an hour and it was tasty and easy?!! I had to know how to do it myself.

Now, if you are anything like me, limited kitchen skills, Mama on the go, but wanting to make something yummy, simple and healthy, this is for you!! Impress your family, guests or treat yourself with this fool proof nutritional dish. The best part is all you need is 3 ingredients and most of them will probably already be sitting right there in your pantry 😉

Grandma Erickson’s Simple and Sweet Acorn Squash recipe

Ingredients:

1 Acorn Squash (Choose one with the smoothest surface)

1 Table Spoon of Butter

1 Table Spoon of Brown Sugar

Wax paper

Non Stick baking sheet

Prepare:

First, Preheat your oven to 350 F. Next, wash off the Acorn Squash. Now, (This is an awesome tip) place your Acorn Squash in the microwave for 5 mins to soften it up. When complete, take out the Squash carefully, it will be very hot. Allow to cool down for a few minutes. Once you can handle it safely cut it right down the middle to make two halves. Scoop out all the seeds and discard them.

Place the two halves upside down with a little water on a backing sheet. Then into the oven for 30 mins.

Acorn Sqush makes a quick, healthy and easy snack too! To save time, instead of placing the squash in the oven, put it back into the microwave. Simply cover each half with wax paper and turn on the timer for another 5 mins!

Finally once your squash has been warmed, scoop out a table spoon of soft butter and place it right into the heart of the squash. Add brown sugar and mix around for a sweet and delicious Fall treat, or Salt for a savory hearty option

Tadddaaaa!! That’s it!! So quick, simple and easy!!

This can be a complete meal (that’s what my mom and I did) or serve with Turkey breast, salad and a little rice. Whatever you do, your kids will love it. We just took a big spoon and scooped out every bite! Angelina is going to love it too, it’s soft and easy to eat like a mashed potato. Last year I ate this until April. Acorn Squash keep for a long time, so I had something available to eat if I didn’t have any fresh groceries that day.

Whole Foods Market is offering YOU a discount to get fresh food delivered right to your door!! Instacart is a great new tool to save time, and never compromise on your health. You can use the code: stephany25 and receive $25 off your first purchase of $50!! Okay even though strolling through Whole Foods Market is something the whole family just loves to do (Bella loves the pepperoni pizzas!!) busy Moms know that fresh food, right to your door is ahhhhmazzzzing!!!

See the below coupon for more!

I hope you love this easy and simple family recipe as much as we do. Don’t be afraid to try it, it’s basic and filling and nutritious for the whole family .

Thank you so much to our wonderful local Whole Foods Market the warm welcome and inviting us to your lovely store

Don’t forget to let me know what you think when you try this at home, and if you’d like to see more recipes on StephanysChoice ♥